Hell Above
by bohemian tice
Summary: "The water is wasted, the air is unclean. And there, for a second, I felt free."
1. Introduction

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dangan Ronpa nor the song used in the title and summary **

**Greetings. This is a Submit Your Own Character story (as stated in the title) and my first FanFiction for the DanganRonpa fandom. **

**In this story, the original DanganRonpa cast never came to Kibougamine/Hope's Peak, and instead the characters submitted by you will take their places. However, there will be no secret sixteenth student. Instead, I will simply need sixteen submitted characters.**

**Oh, and also; I played the English translation of the game before watching or hearing of the anime, so I'm used to the terms used in that translation (Super Duper High School and Kibougamine, as opposed to Super High-School Level and Hope's Peak. I do hope this doesn't cause a problem, but if desired I will use the more commonly used terms instead.)**

**Every character accepted will have a narration at some point in the story.**

**Edit: Full.**

**Here is the character list, which can also be found on my profile:**

Super Duper High School Martial Artist (Female)

Super Duper High School Doctor (Male)

Super Duper High School Skier (Male)

Super Duper High School Horror Novelist (Female)

Super Duper High School Dance Dance Revolution Player (Male)

Super Duper High School Astronomer (Male)

Super Duper High School Musician (Female)

Super Duper High School Hunter (Male)

Super Duper High School Soccer Player (Female)

Super Duper High School Ballerina (Female)

Super Duper High School Singer (Female)

Super Duper High School Firefighter (Male)

Super Duper High School Keytar Player (Female)

Super Duper High School Cosplayer (Female)

Super Duper High School Stage Manager (Female)

Super Duper High School Photographer (Male)

There we are! The next (and first formal chapter of the story) will have all these lovely characters introduced!

Now that we can finally get started, I would like to introduce a system I've created for the story.

**Voting **will take place after every chapter, and I would be pleased if everyone was to participate. There will usually be multiple or different things to vote on, but this time around, it's for the first three POVs.

You can vote for three different characters, like this:

15 Points: (character's name)

10 Points: (character's name)

5 Points: (character's name)

But, since we don't know any names yet, just use their title.

Adeiu! Expect an update in a week or so.


	2. You're Gonna Go Far, Kid

_And now you steal away_

_Take him out today_

_Nice work you did,_

_You're gonna go far, kid_

* * *

**Mitsuki Tachibana**

The building before me is powerful. It just has that sort of elegant, almost _royal _look, you know? I'm definitely not used to seeing a school like this, let alone attending it...

My home is an average-sized apartment, though I could probably afford living in a luxury complex if I sold a real hit. I don't feel I look the part, though; I look much more normal than one entering this school's building should.

With my thoughts in a flurry, the actual action of walking into the academy seemed to have slipped my mind. Quickly gathering my courage, I take a heavy step through the door and gaze at the empty halls. The floor is shining, clearly having been mopped mere hours ago for the new batch of students' arrival, and the sun shines bright through the reciprocating windows on the walls. The sight is nothing less than a dream come t –

I awaken with confusion following the fogginess of my mind. I'm sitting at a desk, wearing the same clothes I was when sleep overtook me, but questions pile up against one another. Why did I fall asleep? Who took me to this desk? How long was I asleep, exactly?

Overwhelmed, I slump back down, my jaw dropping to the desk concedingly. I close my eyes, pressuring myself to _think_, when I hear a voice.

"Hello?"

Raising my head up, I see a sturdy-looking girl standing in the doorway, hands on her hips and a competitive smirk upon her pink lips. She wears a rather typical long-sleeved uniform, white and dark brown, respectively. The colors blend well with her warm-toned peachy skin, but that color has difficulty sitting next to the navy hair (complete with black streaks) and cold silver eyes. She's very slim as well, with a well-defined but obviously healthy body.

"Hey, you. You there all the way?" the girl inquirea in a dull voice, turning her head away from me. I blink thrice, before pushing myself into a standing position with my hands on the table. "I'm fine," I respond, walking over to where she had appeared. She stands a few inches shorter than me, but maintains her derisive personality for a few more seconds, before glancing upwards and meeting my stare.

She closes her mouth before speaking. "Everyone's been looking for you, you know. We knew that we needed sixteen students, and we only had fifteen. So, come along." the dark-haired girl slips a meaningless smile, then begins leading me down the glistening halls.

This girl has a certain stability about her; somehow I can _just tell_ that she thinks on her feet. That, and it is remarkably obvious that she doesn't want to perpetuate any means of chit-chat with me. After four minutes, I would say, we reach our destination. Double doors made of clean mahogany, I turn the knob on the right door and take a step inside.

Fourteen pairs of eyes bore into mine as a small tear of sweat dribbles down the nape of my neck, covered by my ponytail. I clear my throat, then walk closer to the rest of the students. Nobody moves for a few seconds as the girl that found me follows suit. Sudden as a heart attack, a bubbly voice rings out.

"Why don't we all introduce ourselves?" a tall, skeleton-like boy suggests enthusiastically. A smile stretches across his lips as he continues. "We've all had plently of time to get acqainted, but this lost soul hasn't met one of us...!"

"Well, except for Haruna, of course." He grins at the girl who escorted me here, and she nods to accept his praise.

After the boy's suggestion, everyone sort of drifts off into groups. While I'm glancing around the room, a bit uncomfortable with all the attention that's being focused on me, I receive a tap on the shoulder.

Twisting around, I meet the awkward gaze of a purple ski jacket. Frowning, I lift my head higher, and there find the skeleton boy's bright irises.

"Hello, friend! I'm Haro Jujin, how are you?" he holds his hand out gently, but with such cheer that I feel compelled to shake it (and I do) Realizing that I haven't introduced myself back, my mouth opens and weak words swim out.

"Mitsuki Tachibana. I'm fine, thank you."

Jujin laughs. "What a beautiful name! Is it alright for me to call you Tachibana?"

"Of course," I smile, transfixed by this boy's personality. It seems as though he could light up a football field at midnight with nothing but a few red wires and a screw.

Searching over the crowd for someone new to meet, I spy a hot-pink haired girl motioning me over energetically, using strange hand motions and facial expressions. Fulfilling her wish, I appoach her, confused but no harm done.

"_Hiiiiiiiii_!" the girl screeches, shaking my hand very, very cheerfully, almost painfully so. "Minori Kushieda at your serviiiiiiiiice! How you doin', hon?"

Kushieda is dressed in a school uniform; a burdgundy long-sleeve over a dull blue skirt. Her fuschia hair neatly curls by her shoulders, and her purple eyes glow with determination. She's cheerful for sure, but can clearly differentiate herself from the more playful-cheerful like Jujin.

A low laugh sounds behind me, and I turn to see who it is.

"Honda Masashi, Super Duper High School Hunter at your service." the tall boy declares, grinning at me with sunshiney teeth. Masashi turns to Kushieda and ruffles up her hair, before looking back at me. "This little sweetheart is _Rebecca Wenards._"

"Huh?" a question escapes from my mouth as I glance at Kushieda (Rebecca Wenards?) and Masashi both. Finally, Kushieda/Rebecca speaks up.

"Rebecca Wenards is my _real_ name," the girl puts on a pouty face, before pulling on her hair. To my surprise, her hair falls off within minutes. She removes nearly ten bobby pins, allowing straight brown hair to fall to her shoulders. "Super Duper High School Cosplayer!"

My mouth flies open, but Rebecca explains. "I was cosplaying as Minori Kushieda from Toradora, a romance manga and anime!" her voice softens out, and her eyes cast downward after she's done talking. Masashi brings himself closer to me and whispers, "Rebecca is a very timid girl, but when she's cosplaying she tends to take on the personality of whoever she's impersonating... Cool, huh?" he gives out a laugh and I smile back as I examine the other students.

My flitting eyes land on a tall boy with black, blue-tinted hair. I trot over to him, holding out my hand and taking on the persona of all the affectionate, happy people around me.

"Mitsuki Tachibana. My title is the Super Duper High School Horror Novelist, pleased to meet you."

His pale red eyes gain warmth as he shakes my hand. "Hello, Mitsuki. I am Sakuya Iramine, Super Duper High School Dance Dance Revolution Player."

_Dance Dance Revolution Player?_

"Horror is one of the most interesting writing genres by far, it's wonderous to meet someone so animatedly involved in it such as yourself." Iramine closes his eyes as he finishes his sentence. Seemingly done talking to me, I move on to the person standing next to him.

"Hi, I'm Mitsuki Tachibana. Super Duper High School Horror Novelist. Pleased to meet you." as I'm speaking, I examine the girl. She's absolutely striking, with porcelain skin that seems to belong to a doll, blue eyes as white as icing, and dark hair that falls down her back in perfect precision. She's about the same height as me but a little thinner, wearing a tank top to match her eyes and black leggings. It's a casual outfit, but seems to fit the beautiful girl perfectly.

"Vienna Salngier, Super Duper High School Singer," she gives me a timid,almost apologetic smile, "I'm from America, so I hope it wouldn't be too much trouble to deal with me getting acquainted to the Japanese lifestyle."

"Of course not." I reply, silently cheering in her kind response. A real front-cover magazine girl here, huh?

Vienna clasps her hand together politely. "I appreciate it very much. You best be off on other introductions now."

Nodding in agreement, I immediately travel to the person to her right. An extemely tall boy with blonde hair drawn up in spikes and radically blue eyes, his gaze travels far around the room, as if he isnt' looking at anything at all. He's wearing typical delinqent clothing; a fancy jacket with exquisitely-executed trimming and skinny pants, with a chain in place of a belt. His arms crossed and taking a dominant stature, he doesn't look too friendly, but I introduce myself anyway. "Park Young is my name," he replies in a bold, bored voice. "Super Duper High School Doctor." Park then glances away from me, thus ending the conversation.

He doesn't look the type to be a doctor at all, but by now I've learned these people are not what they seem.

"Hey," a voice greets me, and I realize I've been gazing off. Stalking back into the real world, I build up a response. "Hi. I'm Mitsuki Tachibana, Super Duper High School Horror Novelist. How are you?"

"Xavier Yann, Super Duper High School Photographer," it's another boy, this one even taller than Park. He has mint-green hair that lazily falls to his shoulders, and eyes of a slightly darker shade. He wears glasses, along with a fluorescent orange polo and plain jeans. "How do you do?"

"I'm fine, yourself?" I reply, tilting my head to the side. It's strange how some are so polite whilst others don't even seem to want to speak with me. Though, I do wonder how I come across as...?

Xaver and I maintain idle chit-chat for a few minutes, but I believe we both realize eventually that I should get on with my introductions. After Xaver is done giving me a polite farewell, I move on with my first-time meetings.

Standing nearly right behind Xavier is an awfully small girl. She seems to be a few inches away from being a foot shorter than me, with peachy-toned skin and curled shoulder-length black hair. She has big, round chocolate brown eyes with fluttering eyelashes to match, and rosy pink cheeks. Her clothes consist of a sweet teal hoodie, with little rabbit ears on the hood, with white shorts (that seem tiny at first glance, but are actually average-length, just small due to her height) and teal-white striped stockings. Black boots travel up to her knee, but the outfit ends up looking like something a dolly would wear. _Absolutely adorable. _Is she really in high school?

"Hi, I'm Mitsuki Tachibana. Super Du...per?" I trail off at the sight of the tiny girl's glare. There seems to be pure, rotten hatred radiating from those huge dolly eyes. "Kisuke Abayama," she murmurs, downcasting her eyes for a few seconds before raising them to cut into mine. "I'm done now. You can leave."

"Isn't Kisuke a boy's name?" I comment without thinking. Her eyes fire up, and she spits something nasty right back at me."Isn't Mitsuki an _ugly girl's_ name?" she does a mock-impression of considering the question. "Yes, of course it is! Since she's standing right in front of me, hah!"

My eyes widen, then narrow in perfect opposition to hers. "At least I don't stand at three feet tall." As I don't particular have an affiliation for picking fights, I walk away from the scene, quickly finding someone new, and hopefully _decent, _to meet.

"Hello, I just came over in hopes of hurrying up your introductions," a smooth voice curls into the air like smoke out of a pipe, swiftly and beautifully. I turn, my motions seeming fake, and see a tan boy with a large, black afro and a shining smile in front of me. His eyes are noir-black, but have a heavenly tint of warmth to them.

I pause before speaking. "Mitsuki Tachibana. Super Duper High School Horror Novelist. Pleased to meet you."

"Sairyou Hoshiyotogi, Super Duper High School Astronomer." he pulls up the sleeves of his navy lab coat and flashes his hands to me, covered in tattoos of different stars and planets. Fascinated, I attempt to examine every one, but he waves them behind his back before I'm done.

"Don't worry, love, you can see them later," Hoshiyotogi smiles at me, and his teeth shimmer as he does so. Glancing around the room quickly, his eyes seem to land on something close. "Why don't you meet Takeda now?" he grabs my hand and pulls me along with him for a short distance, before I'm face to face – or, more face-to neck – with a beachy-looking girl of extravagent height.

Her eyes are the color of the deep ocean, so many layers involved that you could likely get lost in them. Her hair is a dirty, bleached blonde cut short near her chin in a boyish manner, as well as tan skin with definite muscle. Dressed in a loose fitting tank top and ripped jeans, she comes across as a tough spunk for sure.

"Hello, Takeda. Mitsuki Tachibana, Super Duper High School Horror Novelist." I repeat my greeting to the girl, who simply stares at me blankly. Blinking the film off of her eyes, she nods once. And that's all she does...

Migrating to a much smaller girl standing a few feet away from Takeda, I recite my introduction, branded into my memory by this point.

"Hello, Tachibana," the girl says softly, staring up at me from under her eyelashes, "I'm Kimiko Shigemitsa, Super Duper High School Ballerina." she wears a high-collared icy blue dress that finishes in a clean cut right above her knees. The collar is stitched in white, with white buttons along the stomach as well. She has on white tights and little black shoes, with long legs contrasting with her small body. "I don't like talking much, but I do like getting what I want," Shigemitsa continues, tilting her head like a puppy. The girl is very pretty, much like Vienna, her features consisting of thick dirty blonde hair that seems to wrap around her waist, big yellow eyes, and skin like porcelain. She has a lively blush, as well as a thin, model-like body and a featured cuteness factor as well.

Pointing her index finger out, Shigemitsa speaks once more. "Talk to him," her eyes are hollow but I follow their stare in the direction of a small, muscular boy standing alone, "He's a little bit brash but I think he's just lonesome."

I give my thanks and slowly stalk towards the boy, tapping him on the shoulder once I arrive.

"Whaddaya?"

"Mitsuki Tachibana, Super Duper High School Horror Novelist," I say, not the slightest bit unhinged by his abnormal rudeness. "Pleased to meet you."

"Pozha Molita. Firefighter." he snarls, then spits on my shoe. "Leave my sight."

I'm about to knock a tooth out when timid words sound in my mind.

"_He's a little bit brash but I think he's just lonesome."_

I give him another look-down, this time noticing the dirt stains on his firefighter suit and the twinkle in his eyes. If I want to make friends, if I don't want people to be afraid of me, I have to be kinder. "It was great meeting you," the words are squeezed out of my mouth, but no matter. I'm almost done with introductions, anyhow.

I say my greeting to a girl to the far right of Pozha, a girl of a much stranger appearance. Her hair is glowing white, sticking out in prominent points on either side. Her eyes are narrow, though one is all covered in bandages, the other is a honey amber. She wears darker clothing with a long black coat, and her entire getup is just borderline insane. Interesting, but insane.

"Rumine Kayasaki, Super Duper High School Musician," she tells me, but then looks away in an angsty sort of manner, similar to Park's persona. She's only a few inches taller than me, but she takes a protective, sort of manly pose.

Kayasaki is obviously not the one to talk, so I continue along the room until I find the _one person _I haven't met. "Mitsuki Tachibana, nice to meet you," I speed through my greeting, reaching my hand out to the petite girl. Hesitantly, she lays her pale hand out for me and I grasp it energetically, much unlike me.

"Alexandria Rovold." the girl's voice is hardly above a whisper, and I can hear fear and anxiety just drowning in her wet words. "My title is that of Super Duper High School Stage Manager."

She doesn't seem like the managing type. She has ghostly pale skin, wide doe-like eyes trembling in fear, and black hair that curls near her chin. She's frail, clearly, just from looking at her, and just doesn't seem like one to dominate or control.

"Please address me as Alex," the girl sighs, hiccuping, "Was I... the last one?"

"That you were," I clarify, blinking the surprise out of my system. That was an obnoxious task, was it not? Though I suppose I should just be grateful it's _over..._ though I did meet some peculiar people, I met rather well-adjusted ones as well, such as Jujin, Xavier, Vienna...

In the midst of my thoughts, a peculiar voice with no apparent owner rings out.

"Upupupupu...upupupu..."

* * *

**Ugh god that took a while to write x.x but I'm glad it ended up like this, though I could have spent some more definition and detail on a few introductions, I believe this will do for now.**

**Who do you hate so far? Which characters struck your fancy? ;) **

**Voting this time around will be for the limelight once more (not necessarily a POV, but a big part of the chapter, you feel?) Also, since next chapter will be about Monobear making his debut and then getting settled into the dorms (maybe even a Free Time event, depending on how long the other sections are) tell me who you'd like to spend time with each other c:**

**I hope you enjoyed Mitsuki Tachibana!**

**15:**

**10:**

**5:**

**You're Gonna Go Far, Kid _by The Offspring_**


	3. Mood Indigo

**Author's Note: Hey, y'all remember 'Park Jae Young', right...? Okay, well, somebody (bohemian tice ;-;) got his name wrong in that first chapter. It's Jaeyoung Park, not Park Jae Young . my apologies! I hope you can enjoy the chapter even though the person writing it has nothing inside their head...**

* * *

**Sairyou Hoshiyotogi**

* * *

"Upupupu..? What the fuck?" one of the smaller girls, Abayame, mocks, an angry frown on her face.

"Cussing is a nasty habit, young lady!" Masashi snarks, bopping the girl on her head. She rubs it hastily, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Cussing is fine in my book!" an unsettling, cartoon-character voice arises from thin air. People around me furrow their eyebrows and begin to look for this mysterious being, but I simply wait. He... or she, will show themselves soon, so nobody must worry.

Sure enough, the large television screen hanging above up begins to static, then eventually shows a glooming shadow of an oddly-shaped figure. Definitely _not _human is all I can gather from it, but not much else can be confirmed. "Students, please meet in the gym at _once_!" the playful, happy-sounding voice orders, before the static reappears on the television and then it turns black.

A trampede of voices stomp over each other as soon as the screen blackens.

"What was that?"

"Have we been kidnapped?"

"Idiots! This is totally just a really rad opening ceremony!"

"You're the idiot here..."

The last voice belongs to Takeda, standing with her arms crossed, her eyes closed and narrowed. She takes a powerful step towards Jaeyoung, who I can infer said the statement prior to Takeda's.

Takeda turns back towards the rest of us, her eyes now wide open. She has magical eyes, really, deep-set and always having a nice spark of life in them. Both of them are just as radiant as the other depsite being as dark as the ocean, similar to the night sky in my opinion. "This is _clearly _something much more sinister than a stupid opening ceremony," Takeda speaks, her voice gaining power by each word. "I don't even attend those most of the time, and I know we all need to go to _this_!"

Nobody says a word for a very long moment, until Rebecca awkwardly clears her throat.

"I agree... with Takeda..." she looks down, swallowing her nerves. Forcing a small smile onto her face, blush creeps up on her cheeks. It's quite a difference, seeing her in her previous cosplay and then seeing her acting like, I suppose, herself. Perhaps she hasn't had the chance to even develop her own personality, always pretending to be someone else...?

Masashi follows behind Rebecca; do those two know each other? They seemed pretty clueless at the start, but they've seemed mysteriously close all after introductions. A major possibility is just natural bonding, but I'm not sure. They're no point in being pessimistic, so I'll let it slide.

One of the rather small girls, Shigemitsa, steps into the center with Takeda and Rebecca, seemingly joining them.

"I'm going!" Pozha snarls, practically pouncing on Shigemitsa. The blank expression on her face doesn't change, however, her eyebrows just switch to a somewhat more curious position. She shrugs him off, however, and dusts herself off carefully.

"I'll guide you all there," Jujin butts himself in, grinning as if he's happy to be of service. His smile falters for a second, though. "I don't really know the way there, but... I'll try." After those six set off, two more (Tachibana, with Haruna behind her) hastily chase after them, apparently desperate to avoid getting stuck with us lot.

"That Takeda chick is a real bitch, huh?" Jaeyoung spits out, his face bright red. He cracks his knuckles loudly, and I notice Alex taking a step back. She's small, much like Shigemitsa, but their personalities are quite different. Alex is quiet due to blatant shyness, a tragic outbreak among many young people these days, but Shigemitsa maintains her silence most likely due to simply not wanting to let emotion out. It also probably has something to do with being a ballerina, as they don't talk much anyways. They aren't supposed to, after all... Though, I do wonder how Alex can be the Super Duper High School Stage Manager with next to no vocalizing thoughts...?

"She was just speaking her mind, _fuckass_," Abayame snorts, tilting her head eagerly as she laughs, "'Lot like you're doing right now. Hahaha!"

Jaeyoung's face turns a shade darker. "What in the hell is even _wrong _with you?! Don't go picking fights, you overgrown pack of meat... look at yourself, you're the size of a goddamn lab rat. I swear, if you weren't a _lady _– ''

"Arguing won't get anyone anywhere," my naturally peaceful etiquette comes into play. "We'd be better off joining the others, wouldn't we?"

"We'd be best off listening to Hoshiyotogi." Vienna says quietly, flashing an angelic smile to the rest of them. She begins walking after the ones already gone, causing an awkward degree of murmuring to commence before Jaeyoung, Xavier, Iramine, and Alex follow her. I'm right behind them, of course, but halt in the doorway to survey anyone left behind.

Kayasaki and Abayame remain in the room, Kayasaki already making her way towards me (at a rather slow pace) but Abayame sitting stubbornly in the middle of the room.

"Abayame, if you don't join us, I'll just leave you," despite the effort I put into it, my voice comes out far too warm to be taken seriously. In response, Abayame's pink tongue is stuck out towards me defiantly.

I smile. "Come, Kayasaki. Let's go, hm?"

She blinks, with her one good eye, then nods. It's a bit hard to treat her as a woman, since she's so tall, hardly shorter than _me_, and doesn't seem to nurture too many womanly qualities at that. But still, she's a woman and deserves typical respect and manners. We're not too far from the gym when Abayame comes running up to up, panting like a turtle that was challenged to race with a cheetah. "Jerk," she scoffs, taking a loud breath in, "You left without me..!"

"Of course I did," I respond, entering the room right after Alex, holding it open long enough for both Kayasaki and Abayame to enter as well.

"That's the last of 'em." Masashi says as his eyes sweep over everyone.

"So then when does this damned thing start?" Tachibana yawns, furrowing her eyebrows and taking a defensive position. She moves her eyes downwards, as if debating everything she says. "Even romance novels aren't this boring."

As if on cue, _that voice _starts up again. "Everyone's here? Then, here we go...!"

Rather off-setting noises begin, like someone plump and small trying to get somewhere in a rush. Out of absolutely nowhere, a _teddy bear _pops up on the table near the front of the gym. It's an eery teddy bear at that, half pure white like a polar bear but half black, with a zig-zaggity red... _thing _in place of its eye.

"_Teddy..._" Pozha's voice hisses out like a snake, "_...bear_?!"

"Hey now," the voice is coming out of the bear's mouth, but... "I'm not a teddy bear! I'm Monobear, your headmaster here at Kibougamine Academy! Sweet place, eh?"

Humble fright is setting at the bottom of my stomach, but I am _remaining_ _calm._ "Wah?" Rebecca squeaks, her eyes wide and face pale. "Wah?!"

"There's nothing... to fear... it's just a... high-tech toy! Yeah!" Jujin raises a fist in the air at his risky theory. Troubled, he looks across the room to see that absolutely nobody is sure of his statement. Defeated, Jujin's coated shoulders slump.

"I'm no teddy bear, ya goddamn _punks_!" the tedd – er, _Monobear, _shouts, letting out a weak roar after his declaration. "I'm Monobear, your headmaster! And I'd beary much appreciate being called so!"

"Beary?" Takeda can barely contain her dark giggling. "Now that was just bad."

Monobear turns towards her for a moment, but soon regains his composure of looking straight at us. "_Anyway... _let's get onto my very special introduction, hm...? Good morning, losers!"

"Hi..." Iramine awkwardly greets the thing, startled when he realizes he was alone on that one.

"So, everyone, let me first start tellin' you the basics!" Monobear says. Basics? Don't we already know that? We're enrolled here for our extraordinary – super duper talent.

"You guys, are The World's _Greatest Hope_! You guys, all being so very talented in some field, are what we need, what we're protecting in this school... You guys, needing to be taken care of so specially, need to be nurtured in a specific, specially special environment: this school! Which is why you guys gotta carry your lives out in this environment... for an indefinite amount of time, of course... upupupu..."

I...what? "To dumb it down for you, the rest of your lives are going to be spent in this very same school!"

"What?!" Jaeyoung's voice rings out from the crowd. "What did you just say?!"

"The rest... of our _lives_?" Alex's terrified voice cries out. A single tear dribbles out of her right eye, but from the looks of it, many more are on their way soon.

Monobear poses. "Don't worry about it, sweet cheeks! We got tons and tons of supplies for you losers here! You can live a fine life just standing in the same exact room every day for eighteen years, if I do say so myself!"

"You can't be serious..." Xavier says, as if trying to talk to himself but accidentally being too loud.

"I'm one-hundred and ten percent _legit_, yo!" Monobear confirms our fears happily, and continues on, "Plus, this whole place is completely cut off from the outside world, just for you to forget about it! Don't you dare let my hard work go to waste!"

"You can't – just – someone will save us!" Takeda blurts out, clearly unhinged after Monobear's statements. Her eyes filled with deep-set despair and her mouth hanging open. "Y-yeah, of course they will!" Vienna says sternly, placing her hands on her hips. A line of black makeup runs down her cheek dramatically as she sniffles.

Shigemitsa sighs loudly. "I have things to do, you know. I can't spend my entire life here."

"You guys sure are a gloomy bunch... but, after all, there is _a way _to get out of here safe and sound..." Monobear gazes off into the distance, like he planned this entire dialogue. Which he did, but... still. These bitter declarations even have me a bit shaken up, and my life's work has been founded upon remaining calm.

"What is it?" Tachibana asks, casually twisting her ponytail in her left hand despite the hand shaking. Monobear is silent for a moment before replying. "Welp, I, your loving headmaster, have been a special system into works if anyone wants to leave! It's called Graduation! Neat, huh?"

"And what does this Graduation entail?" Haruna inquires suspiciously.

Monobear clears his throat. "As I said, you guys are responsible for everything that goes on here, right? You guys keep the order in this hoo-house! But – ''

"You never said that," I comment, but Monobear acts as if he didn't even hear me.

"_But_, should someone decide to destroy that order and eat it up, they alone will Graduate!" he says, posing again as he did before. As if every question has been answered... but there are still many confused faces surrounding me.

"D-d-destroy the order...?" Alex squeaks, still in tears, "What duzzat m-mean?"

Monobear's answer comes out in a quick, gleeful sound. "Murder!"

The dead silence fills the air as my bones seem to shatter. I want to collapse, but I have a feeling that I should stay on my feet for the next few hours... or days... or weeks...?

"Murder! You know... beating, pounding, stabbing, cutting, burning, crushing, strangling, slaughtering, hexing, all that! But how you do ain't really important, just that you know you can't get out unless you kill someone else!" Monobear laughs, then continues on his wicked rambling. "It's a real thrill-ride! Like a roller coaster, you know? But ten, twenty, thirty times better! Upupupu!

"You know how I said you guys are The World's Greatest Hope? Well, imagine that hope being thrown into a cage with starking, raving _despair_, and see what comes out on top!"

"Y-you're sick!" Abayame squeals, her eyes withdrawn and round, "I'd rather die than live in this hellhole!"

"You'd rather die?" Monobear snickers, turning his evil eye to face the tiny girl."First victim right here, ladies and gentleman! Who's gonna start it up?"

"Shut the fuck up! Why should we even have to do this?" Jaeyoung roars. His teeth on edge and his hair looking almost like a weapon, he's blatantly not going down without a fight. He wants an answer to his question, too, since he begins to tap his foot impatiently. "Answer my damn question!"

"You know, you guys would be a lot better off just letting me tell you what to do and leaving it at that. No ifs, no buts, you hear...? So listen up: from now on, this academy is _your entire world_... so kill to your heart's content! Kill or be killed! Kill, kill, kill, kill, then kill some more! Kill till nothing's left!" Monobear shouts, raising his arms up over his head.

"This is a disgusting goddamn joke," Iramine mumbles, squeezing tightly onto the sheep plushie resting in his hand.

"Upupupu!.. by the way, violence against the headmaster is _strictly _forbidden. So don't even try!"

There's a nasty silence hanging over the crowd, almost like a sickness in the sense that nobody is strong enough to break it.

"Lastly, I have a lil' something-something for you all," Monobear says giddily, pulling out some sort of electronic gizmo. "Student IDs for everyone! Call it a gift, but don't worry, you don't have to thank me! Anyway, these nifty gadgets are called _ElectroiDs. _You can't lose 'em, since they are, in fact, your students IDs. You wouldn't go flinging your ID around at your old school, would you? It isn't any different here... so, when you turn it on, it will display your full, real name, so make sure the one you have belongs to you!" Monobear goes through the care instructions speedily, but I doubt that anyone is listening too intently. "They're waterproof, and are durable as well. So don't break a sweat worrying about it! Also, every ElectroiDs contains all the school rules – make sure you read those through _very _carefully... Well, I think that just about does it for this entrance ceremony. See ya losers later!" with a highly exaggerated sound, Monobear leaves us.

"W...what just happened, exactly?" Jaeyoung asks, his eyes darting across the room hysterically. Nobody moves a muscle, most likely since they don't know themselves.

"This is quite the dilemma, isn't it?" Shigemitsa muses, seeming peculiarly composed despite all odds. "Hell fucking yeah it is!" Abayame shrieks, her mousy voice piercing my ears. Instinctively, Iramine reaches to place his earmuffs to shield his poor eardrums. "I mean, what even is this? What the fuck kind of a decision are _we _supposed to make based on that load of horseshit?!"

"Indeed, this does seem like a rather difficult choice," Tachibana says (agreeing with Abayame I suppose) "Our two options are to stay here for the rest of our lives, or commit an act of murder and free ourselves, right?"

"You would have to be to insane to kill another person!" Haruna proclaims loudly, contrasting with her quiet nature. "Who would even dare to do such a thing?"

Tachibana's eyebrows twitches. "Many people would dare to do such a thing. Think back to when we were outside, walking through the streets. The average person walks past a murderer thirty-six times throughout their entire lifetime. Our lives are still in their early stages, however, so simplifying those statistics minorly, each of us have walked past a murder about six times already. Murder is all around us, it's always been there. It's never been something hidden away, all secretive-like. So, really, any one of us could commit murder, especially under these intensive circumstances. Insane _or _not, it's the same effect." she finishes her explanation with a cold glare aimed towards Haruna, then stands back and allows everyone else to debate over her words.

Her words make a lot of awful sense, though I don't think that the _normal _high-schooler would be able to come up with such a detailed conclusion. Perhaps it's because she's the Super Duper High School Horror Novelist, constantly coming up with bestsellers focused on the ideas of murder and homicide. Mindless arguing seems to be commencing between Pozha, Jujin, and Masashi. I vaguely tune in on Jujin saying something along the lines of 'nobody here would do such a thing' when Shigemitsa's voice starts an echo through the large room.

"Your argument has no end, does it...? Let me make clear the true conflict at hand," raising her hands to her hips, Shigemitsa begins again, "If anyone standing in this room took Monobear's more _drastic _choice to heart."

Everyone's eyes fly across the room, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of every being in the space. Rebecca turns to Xavier, Takeda to me, and I to Iramine. I don't really know why, which is a first-time experience for someone like me, but it's almost like... forced nature. My eyes _land _on Iramine and that's all there is to it... no escaping.

Pressure poured down my spine like ice-cold water, but I maintained my wish to _stay calm always._

"We can't just keep standing here doing nothing," the words leave my mouth before I process them, and I wonder where exactly they came from. Maybe the inner peacekeeper inside of me; heh.

"That's right." Vienna says firmly, letting out a breath before continuing. "No matter what happens, always push forward. Keep your hopes up high and don't let anything distract you..." she seems as if she's trying to comfort herself more than the rest of the room, but everyone hears her anyway.

"So, like, what now?" Abayame questions, fixing her hair while glancing at others.

"Find the bear!"

"Seek a way out!"

"Give up..!"

"You're all wrong," Tachibana sighs, shaking her head as if she's just witnessed something despicably disappointing. "Check our ElectroiDs...? Duh." Almost robotically, Tachibana whips out her ElectroiD and presses the ON button, displaying her name.

Masashi coughs uncomfortably. "Monobear did say someone about _rules_, right?"

"Yes," Tachibana replies shortly, scrolling down her ElectroiD, "Students are expected to live out their lives together exclusively within the academy. Indefinitely." she glances up from her reading, the corners of her mouth curling. "Rule Number One."

"The period from ten P.M. to seven A.M. is designated 'nighttime'. Be aware that certain areas are off-limits during this time. Rule Number Two." Shigemitsa starts from where Tachibana left off, looking upwards blankly once she's finished with her reading material. She glances over to Tachibana and the two share an awkward nod. Then, Tachibana speaks.

"I believe it would be best if we read these out loud, together, to avoid any... misunderstandings." her reasoning is definitely within my best-interest, if I, or anyone else for that matter, plan on making it out alive.

"Sleep is permitted only in dormitory bedrooms. Deliberate use of any other room will be treated as sleeping in class." Kayasaki reads, tugging on some of her bandages after she's done.

"You may investigate Kibougamine Academy freely. No particular limitations have been placed on your actions." I say, processing the words in my brain. Investigate? Sure, this place is mighty suspicious, but it never crossed my mind that the _school itself _could have something to do with... all of this.

Maybe I need to thinks things over a bit more carefully. "Violence against the headmaster, Monobear, is strictly forbidden. Furthermore, destruction of surveillance cameras is also prohibited." Jaeyoung practically mumbles his lines, apparently in a sour mood. Not that I blame him...

"A villain who..." Alex stops talking for a moment, another tear drawing down her pouty cheekbone, but regains her vocal skills soon after, "k-kills one of his companions will be allowed to Graduate, provided his crime is not betrayed to the other students."

"Additional rules will be added to this list if necessary," Haruna says hastily, pretending to look at a watch on her wrist. "Does that about cover it?"

"Nooo..." Pozha protests, gliding down his ElectroiD, most likely in order to bring some certain rule to attention. "Yeah, number six... what does _provided his crime is not betrayed to the other students _mean?"

"I was a little confused by that one myself as well," Jujin confesses, giving an apologetic smile. "My apologies, for not being able to solve my own ordeals..."

Clearing my throat loudly, fifteen heads turn to me. "I believe that specific part is referring to... _concealing _your crime. Like, performing it or cleaning it up in such a way that nobody finds out it was you... until you've, er, Graduated, I suppose."

"That matches my theory as well," Shigemitsa comments quietly. "Now, I believe we are done."

The small girl turns on her heel and begins to take petite, ladylike steps towards the door. Flattening her dress out, she stops when Abayame calls out. "Hey! Where are you going?!"

"The dormitories, of course..." Tachibana answers for her, quickly running up to stand beside Shigemitsa. "We should get acquainted with our new living spaces, shouldn't we? After all, we might very well be here for _the rest of our lives_..."

* * *

**And thus brings an end to our dear third chapter, second chapter of the actual story... I've been thinking about removing that first chapter (yu know, the one that isn't actually writing and just announces that the story has closed) but I'm not sure. What do you guys think?**

**I know that some characters had much bigger roles than others, but don't worry, we have quite some time before anyone dies (at least two chapters :')) so I have plenty of time to develop characters... I think.**

**I have a favor to ask (prepare yourselves!) Does anyone have any ideas for incentives...? Inbox me them if you do, since I'm fresh out of ideas. I do believe that the first incentive should be the flashiest, and I actually have an entire trial plot figured out (culprit, victim, incentive, execution, everything) but first of all, the character has too many points to be killed off so early and I don't think it's fitting for the first murder. So yeah, if you have any incentive ideas, tell me 'em!**

******(God, I have a lot to say) Would you guys be interested in being told the top three characters of the most votes every chapter? Like, at the top, after the music lyrics (there weren't any lyrics this chapter because Mood Indigo is instrumental)**

**Voting time! As always, this general voting system (the one below) is just for appearances and all that jazz. You can vote for your character!**

**15:**

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**But, here's a new thing since we're nearing that time of the year. Who do you want to see hanging out? List the two characters you want to spend time together for each point below!**

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**Two voting polls for this chapter. Yay!**

**Have a great day, everyone!**__

* * *

_**Mood Indigo by Duke Ellington**_


	4. Smells Like Teen Spirit

_With the lights out, it's less dangerous_

_Here we are now, entertain us_

_I feel stupid and contagious_

_Here we are now, entertain us_

* * *

**Alexandria Rovold**

I sniff, staring down at my sneakers, as I walk along the halls. Everyone is around me, but I still feel alone... there's no one that likes me here, I think. Isn't that terrible? I dislike being the odd one out, I hate being alone with a sorrow that's followed me mostly everywhere in life... but at the same time, I only feel true to myself when alone. Maybe I just wasn't meant to have friends.

My sad independence is an awfully bad thing in this bad situation. Bad, bad, bad! Nobody will care enough to keep me around, huh? Nobody will listen to me, nobody will like me, and nobody will even notice when I die...

A new tear trudges down my cheek. I don't believe I've ever cried this much in one day, not even when the –

"Hey, you alright?"

I lift my head up, along with my swollen heart, and am surprised to see a tall green-haired boy looking down on me. Xavier Yann, was it...?

"Are you okay? You've been crying for, like, a while." Xavier states, his words the tiniest ounce insensitive but widely kind. I keep staring for what seems like a few minutes, but was hopefully just nearly ten seconds.

"I'm okay," I whisper, coughing uncomfortably and looking away. I can feel my pale face growing warmer, my cheeks turning red.

Xavier smiles. "I'll just help you to your room, then..."

He checks the nameplates on the dorms we pass, searching for mine. It takes us a bit long to find it, since Xavier tells me he wasn't aware my full name was Alexandria. I'm able to memorize the layout of our dorms... my memory is one of the things I pride myself on, whether it be useful or not. I've never been able to fully comprehend absolutely _everything _I remember, but still... it makes me happy to have something I'm great at.

The first door, on the left side of the hall, belongs to Rebecca. The door next to hers is Kisuke Abayame's, and next to hers is Kimiko Shigemitsa. Kimiko's neighbor is Jaeyoung Park, and Jaeyoung's is Mitsuki Tachibana. On the other side of the hall lays six other rooms: the first belonging to Sairyou Hoshiyotogi, then the next to Haro Jujin. Opposite to Shigemitsa's is Rumine Kaysaki's, then Honda Masashi. Next to Masashi is Chiharu Takeda's room, and next to Takeda is Haruna, who I remember specifically asked us to call her by her first name... there are five more rooms just down the hall, and they belong to Vienna, Xavier, Sakuya Iramine, Pozha Molita, and me. I'm on the far right, Vienna next to me, Pozha in the middle, Iramine after him, and Xavier on the far left.

Xavier drops me off at my door, giving me a remarkably genuine-looking grin before walking to his own room. Through my periphial vision, I discreetly watch Haruna angrily throw open her door, slamming it in her rage.

Finding a newfound curiosity, I close my door gently. Raising my eyes up to the large room before me, I begin to examine my new living area. The walls are a pretty dark pink color, with paisley insignias decorating the majority of each wall. My bed is a plain white mattress with a few white sheets thrown over it, a stiff pillow lying at the head of the mattress. I did bring some blankets and a few stuffed animals with me in case my bed wasn't too extravagent, but I seem to have misplaced my belongings somewhere on the way here...

A wooden desk is positioned in the right corner of the room, and my spirits soar. It has numerous drawers, looking to hold at least four binders each! I could fit so many scripts in there, do so much writing and requests, too! I know I have at least two different scripts in my bag, in case I ran into an actress or someone interest in theatrics when I arrived here, but that's still missing, unfortunately.

Slumping down onto my bed, a certain shine reflected from the ceiling lamp catches my eye. I'm drawn to a silver key on the coffee table in the middle of the room, and quickly stumble over to it.

My name is printed on a tag connected to the key: **A. Rovold.**

I place the key into my jeans pocket, continuing my evaluation before too much time has passed. I stalk over to a paper clipped to the wall, and slowly tear it off.

_Hello, students! Your headmaster here just giving you a little run-in! _

_Girls' showers have locks from the inside, and boys' don't. Showers, and actually all water, turns off at nighttime._

_I've prepared a special gift for each of you from the kindness of my heart. A ladylike sewing kit for the women, and masculine tool set for my hardy men. Girls, a single thrust is all it takes! And for the boys, I'd recommend a swift blow to the head._

My face contorts as I read, despair flowing through me once again. Why do we have to do this...? Why do _I _have to do this?...

Just as I sit down on my bed, someone rings the buzzer for my door. I quietly walk over to it, and guide the door open with trembling hands. Prepared for the worst, my mouth lets out a gasp when Sairyou Hoshiyotogi is standing before me, his usual calm demeanor intact.

"Hello, Alex," he greets me, showing his whitened teeth. "Tachibana has asked me to ensure everyone meets at the cafeteria in about ten minutes."

"O-oh... alright," I whisper, my old frightened expression taking over my face. Hoshiyotogi gives me a comforting smile and waves his fingers slightly, motioning for me to follow my back and lifting my head, I weakly follow him down the hallway, awkwardly noting that my legs are shaking.

Hoshiyotogi leads me down the hall, past the dorms and into a wide entrace hall that leads to numerous rooms. Taking me through a specific door with a fork and spoon labeled onto it, I see that we are one of the first here.

Kimiko Shigemitsa and Haro Jujin are in the cafeteria as well, Shigemitsa standing in a prim position before the table, looking as elegant as a first-class lady. Jujin is sitting in one of the large table's chairs, hands folded but looking a bit downtrodden. I kinda want to talk to him, but what if he doesn't like me...? Hoshiyotogi seems to sense my anxiety, and comforts me once again. "Relax, Alex... this is most certainly a concerning situation, but it's nothing _you _can't handle, the Super Duper High School Stage Manager, after all..." he gives my shoulder a tight squeeze (that kind of hurts, since I'm so weak) but my mood is gently lifted, just slightly.

Just after Hoshiyotogi is done cheering me up, the cafeteria door is pushed open. I stand on my tip-toes, eagerly awaiting the arrival of everyone else. Honda Masashi walks in with Rebecca Wenards right behind him, both engrossed in a conversation. After them comes Pozha Molita, with a cartoonishly angry expression on his face. He has a little bit of a funny face, but I know that mine isn't much better, and bullying is a mean thing to do...

"Hello, Rebecca, Pozha, and Masashi," Jujin says sadly, lowering his head as he tentatively waves his hand.

Rebecca, dressed in her _Minori Kushieda _cosplay again, cocks her head animatedly to the side. "Is something wrong, Jujiiiiiin?" she draws his name out jokingly, as if to lighten the mood, but when he doesn't reply, her eyebrows furrow.

"That's no way to act in a situation like this!" as she says those words, Tachibana and Vienna walk in, Vienna a few moments after Tachibana. Vienna closes the door, a determined expression on her face, but a question mark seems to appear above her head when she notices Rebecca's scene acting out before her.

"Just 'cause we're in a gloomy situation doesn't mean we need to lose _aaaaall _hope, right?" the emotion in her voice is lovely, similar to aspiring actresses in the theatres I adore so much... maybe Rebecca likes acting? That would be really great!

Jaeyoung walks in with his hands above stretching above his head as Jujin replies. "You're right...! We can beat this whole hechtic situation if we just work together, and – yeah!"

Pumping his fist in the air, the rest of our crew rushes into the cafeteria. "Sorry we're late," Takeda spits out, grabbing the seat next to Jaeyoung in one motion. She plops herself down, taking a deep breathe before crossing her arms and planting her hands on Jujin and Rebecca, who are the only two standing.

"I nominate Hoshiyotogi as the commandeer of these meetings," a low, almost robotic-sounding voice speaks up. Sitting up in my chair so I can see properly, I watch everyone else's eyes patter over to Rumine Kayasaki, sitting there awkwardly, an annoyed blush beginning to build around her nose.

She's sitting next to Hoshiyotogi anyway, and the boy seems incredibly surprised by her suggestion.

"Why?" he questions, with not even the smallest tint of confusion. It's weird, hearing a question being stated, not asked, but I think I'll have to adjust. 'Cause not everyone here is like me, I guess.

"You show all the attributes of a well-rounded leader," Kayasaki replies levelheadedly, looking off to the left of the room as she speaks. "You're calm, intelligent, observant... well, I haven't actually witnessed you observing anything, but with a title such as the Super Duper High School Astronomer, you must have some sort of talent for recognition."

"Yeah, you do seem like you'd be fit for that," Iramine says softly, almost as if he was talking to himself. But it is quite obvious that he's trying to speak his opinion, and he looks around the room after he's done.

Tachibana coughs. "Hoshiyotogi does seem like an incredibly capable leader." Vienna and Xavier nod their heads in agreement, albeit Vienna doesn't look too interested.

Soon enough, everyone is murmuring their consent, including me, for Hoshiyotogi to lead these meetings. And yes, apparently they will be meetings and not just a meeting. Masashi proposed an idea of us meeting in the cafeteria every morning, so we could tell how everyone is doing.

"Alright, well..." Hoshiyotogi says awkwardly, looking around at everyone's tired, expecting faces. "Does anyone have anything to share?"

Abayame's hand shoots up. "The rooms are soundproof! Did'ja know?" she giggles, clicking her tongue at the rest of us. "I found out 'cause I was with Jaeyoung and Vienna!"

"S-soundproof?" I ask, my lips turning to a frown. "That means..."

"Nobody would be able to hear you if you were being hurt, or murdered, I guess," Jaeyoung says, anger seeping into his words from somewhere inside. "L-lets not focus too much on this, guys! Don't loose hope!" Jujin shouts, a smile stretching across his face.

"Oh yeah, I found something," Xavier speaks up, a new light coming into his eyes. "There's a staircase in here! But it's blocked by this big gate – ''

"Like at the mall, when the stores close down!" Rebecca squeals.

Xavier laughs, puffing air out his cheeks. "I didn't really care that much about it though... You can ask Rebecca or Masashi for more details."

There's a dissociative silence for a few beats, until Hoshiyotogi clears his throat.

"If that's all, then I guess we should all head off to bed..."

"Wait." a stern, gentle voice pops out, belonging to Tachibana. I look over to her, little black things dotting out some of my vision, but I rub my eyes in order to stay awake.

"Yeah?" Pozha snarls, yawning afterwards. I think he's really tired too... poor Pozha.

"I think that we should establish a new rule," Tachibana says, making a sharp hand movement to quiet anyone who tries to speak. "If I'm, er, correct, I do believe that it will benefit the mental health of anyone living within this... _facility._"

"What is this rule?" Kayasaki questions, bringing a finger to her lips. Tachibana looks around the room, a worrisome expression across her face, before it changes to somewhat stoic. "Nobody is out after ten PM, which is bid _night-time_."

"This rule would be to ensure the safety of everyone, right?" Shigemitsa says, glancing down at her unpainted nails. "So nobody is wide awake, worrying that a killer is among us..."

"Exactly," Tachibana replies.

"I-I really like this... this rule, I mean," I spurt out my opinion, biting the inside of my cheek for an instant before continuing. "I mean, I'd be really scared if there was no saying who was out past our bedtime..."

"Tachibana and Alex are right," Hoshiyotogi says, the authority in his voice gaining everytime he talks. "Are there any objections?" Tachibana asks, her eyes darting between the different areas of the cafeteria. "No? Then, I suppose we've all made a deal."

This, apparently, was our final discussion for the night. Hoshiyotogi closed the meeting after that, and said he would see us all the next morning. A few people said good-bye to each other, but most just retreated into their rooms.

My shoulders slumping, and mouth giving out a yawn, I begin to walk towards my room. Way down the hall, it's going to be a little frightening gettting to and from every evening...

"Hey, Alex, wait up," I perk my head up a little, watching as Xavier runs up to me. I can see the sleepiness wavering in his warm exterior, yet he still calls out to me. Why is that? I've always been a real bother of a girl, not good at much else than managing simple things...

"I'll walk you to your room," Xavier says, smiling with a dull crack in his eyes, "It's a bit scary walking down this hallway alone, isn't it?"

"Yes," I respond, a lazy smile of my own appearing. Xavier is really nice to me, and everyone else here has treated me with some kind of dignity as well. It's a lot different from what I'm _used _to, that's for sure... maybe things here won't be so bad, if everyone keeps being nice to each other. This is what I think about when Xavier drops me off at my room, what I think about as I fall asleep in my big bed. There will be fights here and there, but we can get over it. Maybe there's a chance that this whole thing is just an experiment, to see if we can get along with each other despite being trapped... _If we just keep our hope strong and alive..._

* * *

**Ugh, I apologize for this update taking so long. However, this is my first day of break, which means there's going to be an early update sometime in that midst.**

**The next chapter will be mainly composed of free time, and I believe the chapter of the first murder event will take place after that chapter. **

**Voting will be the same as last time.**

**General -**

**15:**

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**Free-Time Pairs -**

**15:**

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**Have a great day! Or evening, depending on where you live... Happy Thanksgiving!**

* * *

_**Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana**_


	5. Wake Up

_If the children don't grow up_

_Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up_

_We're just a million little gods causing rainstorms_

_Turning every good thing to rust_

* * *

**Kisuke Abayame**

Staggering down the hall, I wipe at my eyes with the oversized sleeve of my hoodie. I was rudely awoken this morning, merely minutes ago, with the aggressiveness of a lion coming from my assaulter. It was awfully troublesome for me, and I will be sure to goddamn complain about this.

I pass Rebecca's door on my way to the cafeteria, and hold a hand up to my mouth to stifle my giggles. Right on the other side, too, is Shigemitsa! Rebecca's weird and Shigemitsa reminds me of an ugly doll. The ones I'd see in big stores, but never left with. The only thing Mom ever bought me was my fucking keytar, the damned old bitch.

Jujin and Iramine stand outside the cafeteria, idly chatting. I attempt to pass them without having to speak, but of _course Jujin_ has to greet me.

"Good morning, Abayame!" he chirps, raising a hand, "How was your sleep last night?"

"Shut up or I'll snap your bony fingers right off of your damn hand," I reply, yawning drowsily before stepping into the kitchen. All he was gonna do was bring up my height, huh? Jujin's real tall, over six feet, so it's not like he's at any sort of loss. I can hardly even reach his hips; it's disgraceful.

"Hey, Abayame," Hoshiyotogi says, waving at me from his seat. He's next to Haruna; sitting indifferently in her place, boredly fingering a pattern into her left hand.

I ignore Hoshiyotogi, heading straight to the kitchen for my breakfast. I'm greeted by Jaeyoung and Pozha, the former frying eggs on a skillet. I snort at the eggs, eyeing the averagely-sized cupboard lined against the wall. "Do we have any sugar cereal?"

"Sugar cereal?" Jaeyoung questions, flipping his egg over. Scrambled.

"Yeah!" I say, opening up the cupboarding and thumbing through the labels. "You know? All with marshmellows and sweets, yeah?" Jaeyoung doesn't reply, seemingly too absorbed in his egg. He's adding salt to its heavily uncooked upside.

"...oh!" I catch a glimpse of something that resembles my favorite cereal. I can see the multicolored marshmellows floating in the milk, with the colorful sugar-balls too! I reach for it, only to find that I'm far too small. It's at least a foot and a half taller than what I'm capable of... this is it. This is hell.

Jaeyoung smirks at my predicament. "You need a little help there, Polly Pocket?"

"Did you dye your hair? Or did a chimpanzee just take a huge piss in it because they thought you were shit?" At once, Jaeyoung is dipped into a container of self-doubt. He tugs a tuft of his lemon-colored hair with a red face

He wants to remain silent, as far as I can see. Whatever.

Walking back to the cafeteria without any cereal, I glance around the room, spotting one of the taller contestants immediately. "Xavier Yann!" I call, cupping my sleeves around my lips in the shape of a megaphone.

Tachibana is at his right and Alex at his left, all of them apparently heard me except Xavier, seeing the way their heads perk up.

Tachibana taps his shoulder and lays a finger in my direction. I flash a toothy grin, using my entire hand to beckon him over to me. Alex gains a worried expression as he begins his stride over to me, then contorts onto one knee to lower himself into my size.

"What's up, Abayame?" his voice is pleasant, though he should probably be at least a little strained about me interrupting his girly-girly time. "Could you grab me some cereal from the pantry?" I ask, doing my best to sound irked, and avoid eye contact in order to get the point across that _I don't really care_!

He smiles, and he thing that really makes me suffer is that it's genuine. Or, at least in appearance. I really hate that sort of thing, genuine emotions. When people drag me into them. I really, really hate that. "Sure thing."

I stand, arms crossed and head pointed to the ground, grumpy until Xavier returns with my cereal.

"Here you go," he says, handing the large bowl to me, a small spoon on the tip of the bowl.

"Okay." I say, my mouth forming into a wide grin and glancing up at him. "Bye!" I try to make it a point not to say thank you and walk away, eyes scanning the dining table for an empty seat. Since Jaeyoung and Pozha are still in the cafeteria, and it seems Iramine has returned to his room, there are open seats near Haruna, Takeda, and Jujin... I don't necessarily like any of them, of course, but I guess my worst case scenario would be with Jujin. He might be a bitch since I shouted at him earlier, whilst Haruna and Takeda are both a little annoying in the leader kind of way.

"Abayame!" I blink, and tap my earlobe to see if I'm getting a ringing in my ears again. "Abayame, come sit with us!"

It's Hoshiyotogi, god damnit... Doing the entire 'don't leave anyone behind' shit, right...?

Blatantly ignoring him, I turn on my baby heel to strut back to my room. "I'm going to eat in my room!" Without any furher protesting from the _peanut gallery, _I march to my room to gorge down my meal in sweet silence.

After awhile, there's a light knock on my door. It's almost fearful, so quiet, and I can't help but giggle at whatever weak resonance lingers behind my closed door. "Hello?" I yell, laying down my empty bowl on the bed and stepping over to the door. "It's, um... Alex..?"

Alex? She's the mousy short one, with curls in her hair and a timid personality, yeah?

Scrunching my face up, I open my door wide with little trouble, huffing by it with irritation skeeting across my face. "What do you want?"

Alex's face jumps in surprise, and she holds her hands up almost defensively. "A-ah! I just wanted to, um, see if you wanted to talk... o-or hang out, or something..." she points her widened eyes towards her shoes after done talking.

"Me?" I ask dumbfoundedly, puffing out my cheeks. Why _me_? Someone like me, someone that people are bound to make fun of, someone nobody likes...

"Sure," I say, tilting my head to the side to keep our eye contact to a minimum.

"Ah, really..? Let's go to the, um... uh... where do you wanna go?"

**Alex and I wandered around the halls for a little while.**

In my head, I debated whether or not to grant her a gift. It's not often that someone tries to be kind to me, after all...but I really don't have nothing to give her. I'd feel rude giving her some piece of shit boy-shorts or something she'll never need.

"Heh, Abayame?" Alex raises her voice above the quietness that's been enveloping us and says my name.

"What?"

"Do you like baking?"

I stop walking. "What?"

Alex laughs. "I really like baking..! I wanted to know if you did too, so we could bake together some time..."

"I don't really like baking, but I like eating sweet stuff," it feels weird talking about myself. Nobody's ever asked. "Like, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, candy, ice cream, chocolate bars..."

"I can make cupcakes!" Alex squeals, clapping her hands together. I wince a bit, disliking loud noises. "I can make some for you some time! What flavors do you like? Chocolate? Strawberry? Vanilla? Vanilla with strawberry frosting is really good!"

"Could I have one of each?" I request, and she laughs.

"I wasn't joking..." I say quietly.

"Abayame! You're really funny!" Alex shrieks, falling to the ground and throwing her hands up in the air.

I smirk. "You're kind of stupid, you know that?"

This stops Alex immediately, raising her head and opening her dolly eyes wider. "Huh?" Alex says, a recognition of hurt taking across her facial expression. She's so shocked, it's almost funny.

"Yeah, like... you're too _easily _amused, you know? You're not all that bitchy or anything, but after awhile, someone would get annoyed with you, and I can see why... don't get me wrong, this has been fun, but you're a pretty plain thing." my voice gains power every moment, immersing myself more and more in the power that belongs to me.

Alex's lips turn over slightly. "Oh..."

My smile grows wider. "Yeah, so, I'll be saying my goodbye now. See ya!"

I walk away from the taller girl, my shoulders formally arched and a grin etched onto me. I'm happy, I really am. It feels good to be in control.

* * *

**Honda Masashi**

"Hey, Kayasaki, you know where Rebecca is?" I ask, absently stopping near Kayasaki, who's standing by a cafeteria table peeling a banana.

Kayasaki doesn't even look up. "Kitchen."

"Ah. Thanks!" I say awkwardly, coughing a bit before making my way towards the kitchen.

Of course, there she is, standing primly in a corner, back to me. Today she is, er, Himeka, I believe. She dons a straight purple wig and big brown eyes, a black school uniform dress with a lacy white collar attached. She's been mild-mannered mostly, speaking in calm, methodic rhythms and smiling angelically at me every now and then.

"Hey... uh, Himeka," I choke up after my greeting, the fact that she's _Himeka _and not_ Rebecca_ blankly slipping my mind.

She turns around, her eyes wide and full of wonder. Rebecca's full of surprises, really... always picking up new personalities on the double. It's undoubtedly a task I couldn't complete, that's for certain.

"Masashi!" she squeals, clapping her small hands together and jumping a little. "Yeah!" I reply with almost-matched energy, albeit mine is a bit lifeless compared to the spindling girl next to me. "So, hey, wanna, um... hang out?"

Rebecca smiles up at me. "Of course!" after relishing in her statement, she tips her head to the left. "I'm actually a little hungry, to be frank..."

**Rebecca and I snacked in the cafeteria.**

Should I give Rebecca a present? I did, in fact, get a few little things out of some sort of vending machine earlier...

Wordlessly, I stick my hand gingerly into my pocket and fish out the hairpin I recieved from the machine. Near the thicker end of it, there's a little gray kitty-cat, with whiskers and all... It would look sweet in long hair, wouldn't it..?

"Ah, for me?" Rebecca smiles, bringing a hand to her mouth. "So nice!"

Almost immediately upon touching the thing, she clips it into her dark bangs. "Haha, thank you very much! This is a great gift, Masashi!"

The relief almost spills out of me, but I do end up grinning. I'm always glad to make others happy.

"Say, Masashi, you know how there are sewing kits in every girl's room?" Rebecca inquires stoutly, a playful look flooding into her eyes. Thinking back just a bit, Monobear's monologue pours back, and I do happen to remember him saying something about all the girls having sewing kits in their drawers.

"Yeah," I reply, "What about it?"

"Well, er... do you think I'd get in trouble if I used it?" Rebecca twirls a lone piece of hair between her fingers while saying this.

"_Re_ – Himeka! Why would you use that?" I blurt out, unintentionally yelling out at her. Startled, Rebecca hops a little, bumping her hip on the wall. "Owie," she winces, rubbing it for a moments. She admires her nails for a couple of seconds, then looks up. "It's nothing bad, really..! My sewing kit was taken when I awoke in that room, and I don't really know if I can manage without it..."

A sewing kit? "What's that meany face for, Masashi?" Rebecca puffs her cheeks out.

"I didn't know a lot of costume-makers still used sewing kits, to be honest with you," I say, shrugging. "I mean, sewing machines must be easier, right?"

A somewhat darker look overtakes Rebecca's face. It seems as if a shadow has fallen across the upper portion of it, really... "We've never been able to afford sewing machines, actually..." she clasps her hands together and teeters back and forth on her Mary-Janes. "I've become quite used to the regular little kits, and gotten pretty skilled with them, too." Afford? What does money have to do with it..?

"Well, look at the time... I'm gonna go play on that Mono Machine-thingy, okay? Goodbye, Masashi!"

As she quickly exits the room and stumbles down the hall, I replay over my conversation with Rebecca. On my fourth relay, something catapults at me: she changed out of character a little. She became less of Himeka and more of Rebecca, or at least what might be Rebecca.

I grab a pre-made beef sandwich out of the fridge and take it down to my room. Monobear's announcement flies right by me, I'm so focused on my food. After chowing it down, I throw the flinty paper plate into my trash can and lay down for a good night's rest.

* * *

**I'm so sorry for the late update and short chapter, but I was really stuck on this chapter. Turns out Free-Time isn't as much fun writing as I hoped it could be :( ****I think I'll do one more event next chapter, and then feature the motive and corpse announcement. Then the chapter after that will be the investigation and start of the trial.**

**I'll be putting up a poll on who you think the first victim will be. I'm currently deciding between three possible victims, but I have the culprit and motive already, so I'm almost set.**

**Voting will be no different this time around.**

**Free-Time:**

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**General**

**15 -**

**10 -**

**5 -**

* * *

_**Wake Up by Arcade Fire**_


	6. Season of the Witch

_You've got to pick up every stitch_

_You've got to pick up every stitch_

_Oh no..._

_Must be the season of the witch_

* * *

**Chiharu Takeda**

Stepping into the cool airy atmosphere filling up the hallway, I absently pat my left shoulder as I wal by the doors surrounding my own room. A single moment before I step past her doorway, Kayasaki appears out from her room, combing through her short hair before eyeing me discreetly. "Good morning," she says in a low voice, glancing up into the security camera, then continuing her way down to the cafeteria. Following her a few paces behind, I turn past Rebecca's room and dart under the small frame into the cafeteria room.

Kayasaki is calmly stalking into the kitchen, most likely for tea or toast, whilst Vienna is chatting with Jujin, and Shigemitsa soundly loitering near them. Perhaps eavesdropping, though I can't say I care all that much.

"Hey, good morning, Takeda!" Jujin calls. I look his way, as if to acknowledge him, but do not respond. Instead, I lower myself into the kitchen to make some eggs. Protein, of course.

Kayasaki lingers in the corner, looking quite narrow-eyed at the coffee maker. Tachibana is scavenging through the enormous cupboard, flakily tipping open drawers and closing the very same wood within seconds.

I fling open the fridge, picking a carton of eggs, and look around for a pan.

They're located above the stove, in the end. That's rather peculiar, as my home kitchen's layout differed very much so. I wonder, why can't there be one simple place for everything to ease the stress of wandering in a new friend's planks? That would solve much of a problem, I believe.

"Nuisance," I mutter, laying the pan out on the patterned surface, splitting three egg's shells before splashing the outcome onto the frying pan, instantly hearing the sizzle.

"Tell me when they're done," I say to no one in particular, heading back out into the cafeteria.

More people have arrived. Pozha is heading my way – or, the kitchen's way. Alex and Xavier are just walking through the door, Alex's face flushed and her hands awkwardly placed in front of her, whereas Xavier looks incredibly easy-going. Shigemitsa can be seen making constipated chit-chat with Jujin and Vienna, and I see Rebecca in the corner with a new outfit, looking to be examining something. Her back is to me, but I can deciper long golden curls emitting from her scalp, a new uniform (black blazer, white dress shirt, red plaid skirt) and shining brown shoes.

"Takeda, hey!" my eyes are pryed away from Rebecca. Now, Jujin is in my face, his tall self bigger than even me, a smile stretched upon pale skin. "Let's talk!"

"Um..." my voice catches in a way that even a remarkably unintelligent human being such as this bore's grin falters. I turn slightly, looking past his chin at the girls waiting for him, Shigemitsa tracing something onto the table with her thin fingers, and Vienna waiting with her hands crossed into her lap.

"Hey, laaaaaaa~dy?" someone's voice calls from the kitchen. "Yer eggs are done..." Silently cheering for whoever has just summoned me, I work up enough sickle glee to smirk at Jujiin. "Sorry, I need to go get my breakfast. But we can talk after I'm done eating, perhaps?"

Without waiting for a response I start fast-pacing towards the kitchen, seeing that Jaeyoung is in the kitchen as well now, and can hear the cafeteria door sliding open off the flame, I mumble a curse, followed by desire for a plate and fork. "Hey," Jaeyoung coughs quietly, handing me a large fork and a spoon as well.

"Um... thanks," I murmur, my eyes tracing his hand back up to his face, which turns red on impact as he immediately begins fiddling with his fancy-looking watch.

Lifting my eggs onto the plate, I inhale deeply as the smoky scent wraps around me. A smile on my face, I turn to head back out into the cafeteria. I'll probably head straight to my room, though – maybe if I'm fast enough Jujin won't catch me.

Before I even step into the open, a strong yet somehow cowering hand grips my arm.

I don't particularly _like _skin-on-skin contact, and I'm wearing a tank top. "Hey!" I snap, my nostrils flaring as I turn around and see Jaeyoung standing a foot away, eyes wide like some sort of animal.

"Takeda." he says snarkily, lifting his chin up as if pretending he's taller than me. "We should eat breakfast together, alright?"

"_What_?" I spit out at him, balling my hands into fists. "I'm a martial artist, you know – "

"And I'm a doctor," Jaeyoung says, carelessly tossing a branch of his hair to the wrong side. "I can patch myself up... probably."

"You should go with him, Takeda," a new, light voice chimes in. My vision zooms in on Tachibana, biting into an apple with a huge grin on her face. "I mean, who knows what can come out of it?" she winks at me. This is really terribly out of character for all of us, Jaeyoung and Tachibana suffering the most...

I look back up at Jaeyoung. He offers a hand, which _better _be for the goddamn plate.

**Jaeyoung and I ate breakfast together.**

"Hey, Takeda."

"Hm?"

He pulls a half-drunken waterbottle out of his pocket. "I wanted to give you this."

...

"It's a half-drunken waterbottle." I say, my voice coming out like little icicles. Does it matter, though? I'm stating the truth anyway.

Jaeyoung combs his hair back with a lazy hand. "So? It's mineral water. That's good stuff."

I ignore his abnormally boyish claims. "What do you like for breakfast, Jaeyoung? You ate most of _my _eggs, so I can assume you aren't loathesome towards those, at least."

"You can sure hold a grudge, huh? Anyway, I do like eggs. I like beans, too, though – ah, and milk." he heartily raises his styrofoam cup of soy milk, spilling a few drops onto our placemats. "I cook them myself most of the time, so it was weird tasting yours the way _you _like them. You've never taken a cooking class, as I can tell..."

"Feh!" I sneer, slamming my hand onto the table. "Like you can cook half an ass!"

"Better than you can, obviously." Jaeyoung smirks. I snort, crossing my arms across my chest. "What are you, a housewife?"

"No, I don't believe so," he says, mocking my serious tone. "Speaking of housewives, you wouldn't make a very good one, what with your complete disability for all use of cooking utensils around the globe." I furrow my eyebrows. "Sorry I'm not five feet tall with golden blonde braids that sing to animals." Absently, we both look over at Alex, who is sitting in a small circle with herself, Abayame, and Xavier.

"Anyway, what do you like to eat?" Jaeyoung inquires, staring over at a bug on the furthest left wall.

"Protein and cinnamon rolls," I answer shortly, frowning as I tug on my short hair.

"Cinnamon rolls?"

"Yes, cinnamon rolls," I loll my eyes over to him; staring at me with a curious smile. "What's so funny?"

We spent a few more hours together before parting ways. I think that maybe, just maybe, I could deal with him for a while longer – a long while longer, really. Jae isn't all that bad once you really start talking...

* * *

**Sakuya Iramine**

"I like your earmuffs a lot, Iramine. What's on them, goats?" Tachibana grins at she glances at my headphones. "They're sheep," I say, not bothering to correct her on her headgear apparel.

"Really?" Tachibana says carelessly, writing with her fingers onto the wall. She's seated on top of the dryer – we're in the laundry room, of course – and through my observations I can tell that she's suffering from writing withdrawls. She seems to be writing onto any surface she is near, really. "Yeah, I like sheep a lot! Ever since I was little, yeah." Tachibana stops. "You know what I just noticed? You're a Super Duper High School Dance Dance Revolution Player, and Shigemitsa's a Super Duper High School Ballerina." she looks to me, a certain playful tint lightening her face. "You two sort of share a talent, which I guess is cool."

"Shigemitsa's terrific. A real talent, my instructors would say." the words come out but I don't mean them, do I? Despite she loitering around a completely different dancing technique from me, I can't help but let my competitive outbursts set my teeth on edge around her.

Tachibana giggles. "You can have a _battle_... heh." her face darkens into something mischevious. "Do you think it would kill someone if hand sanitizer was dumped into their smoothie? A full bottle, of course... Or, maybe _razor blades _inside the smoothie? It can't be drunken with a straw in that case, however. That would be a nice resolution murder scene, right? When the characters think everything is alright and then the grandmother poisons the survivor's drinks and becomes the sole survivor, as well as accomplice..."

"Very, um, imaginative, Tachibana," I start to clap for her, when the speakers boost up.

"All students report to the gymnasium pronto!" Monobear says, a red martini in hand. Can he even drink that..? My usual pleasant expression is dampened. "What do you think he's going to tell us now?" I say, turning to look at Tachibana. Her skin seems to have gone into a much colder shade and the laughter is slowly draining from her face. "Let's go," she says, and we walk out into the hall. Migrating out of Rebecca's room is Masashi and Rebecca, all dolled up in a new cosplay. They aren't speaking, though they seem to be pointing to various things on other dorms. Tachibana and I continue down the hall until reaching the gymnasium, where everyone seems to be gathered.

"What is it now?" Kayasaki grumbles, using a hand to brush her bangs back before glaring at the empty podium. "Rumine Kayasaki, you dinky little party pooper!" Monobear cries out, popping up from under the podium. He stares down at the girl, yet she doesn't flinch an inch.

"_Anyway... _I have prepared a little surprise for you idiots, in each of your adorable little rooms!" Monobear shouts, the glee in his whimsical voice apparent. The silence building up inside the room is almost suicidal, until a mousy voice pipes up.

"A surprise?" Alex squeaks, next to Abayame near the front of the room. "A good surprise or a... a bad... one..?"

"Hmm... well, young Alex, I would say a little bit of both.. Curious, ain't'cha?" Monobear's face conjures up a growl before his next line. "_So go check it out right gosh darnin' now_!" though his words aren't too threatening, it makes a few of my fellow citizens twitch. And with that, Monobear leaves.

There's a thick, hesitant air above us. "What should we do?" Vienna is the first to talk, blinking something out of her big blue eyes. "We go, don't we?" Jaeyoung says. "There's not much else to do. We can meet up in the cafeteria afterwards, right..?"

Everyone gives their consent with unclear murmurs, and before I can believe we're all rushing out the gymnasium door to see what's in store for us.

"Hey, Iramine," I spin around and see Xavier walking towards me, worry etched into every line of his face – looking sincere, too – along with a few tips of fear drowning in the whites of his eyes. "We live next to each other, so... could you walk with me?"

I almost tease him for being fearful, but it's the wrong time entirely. Instead, I nod, letting him follow me as I trail behind Jujin, then branch off to join the dormitary area belonging to Xavier and me. He looks at me before stepping closer to his door, though I hardly show the same compassion.

Easing my grip on the door handle, I brace myself and walk into my room.

_Something snap inside me and I become a different Sakuya as I see it._

Before my mind can even process what I'm seeing, there are tears running down my face. Gigantic, sloppy tears piling up and plowing down my cheeks is all that happens for a few solid minutes.

"Wh-what? Who... _what_?!"

Duct-tape lines my floor, in the harsh shape of a small human. Sticking to the lines of the tape come photographs, photographs of my little sister. Kyung Mi. But in the photos, Kyung isn't smiling. She isn't on a swingset or training in the studio. She's lying in her pastel-pink bedroom, now with crimson-stained walls with blood oozing out of multiple wounds on her body. There are so many cuts, so many bruises, she looks so _hurt _and so _lifeless _that the breathe is simply taken from my mouth.

Then I start screaming. I drop the photos, which I didn't even know I'd picked up, and in my awful daze, crawl out of the room.

My fog begins to clear as soon as I'm separated from that satanic form. Tears drying on my cheeks, I glance around the hallway. Alex is lying unconscious in her doorway, face-down. I stalk over to her tiny body, flipping her over and checking for signs of a pulse. They're there, thankfully – I guess she passed out from fear. I sling her over my back, positioning her for a piggy-back ride and grab onto her shoes to keep from falling.

I walk, then start running to the cafeteria. Is anyone there yet? I think this over maybe one hundred times until I get there, and see that Takeda, Takahashi, Abayame, and Jaeyoung are all seated, each with an uneasy expression. Takeda, especially, looks a little green.

Abayame's eyes widen as she catches sight of Alex. She stands, not bothering to push her chair in, and walks up to me. "Stupid! What are you doing with her?" she shrieks, slapping my arm. Her strenghth is puny; I doubt she could harm a cockroach. Being a foot shorter than me, I have to hang my head in order to talk. "She was passed out in the hallway." I can't speak much, perhaps due to shock. Abayame purses her dolly lips for a few moments, then decides to reply. "Lay her down or something! She will catch herpes or some shit just _touching _you!" Abayame screams, taking Alex's legs as I begin to lay her down on the ground.

"Here, use these chairs," Takeda says, pulling Jaeyoung's chair from under him and grabbing another one. "They might make for a little more comfort."

After setting her down onto the chairs a few feet away from the table, Abayame declares herself as Alex's watchman and stands post by her, her cheeks red and puffed out. It's almost like she cares, but wants to make it look like she doesn't.

"What did you see?" Jaeyoung breaks the question just as Pozha, Masashi, and Rebecca all walk in. Rebecca seems dazed, and is being balanced in the middle of the two boys.

"Is Alex alright?" Pozha asks, his big eyebrows furrowing worriedly.

"She's fine!" Abayame snips, shooing him away before any more questions are asked. Masashi sits next to me, and Rebecca next to him, whilst Pozha picks a seat on the other side, next to Takahashi.

It takes us a few moments to realize what we used to be talking about, and Takeda lays a hand down. "What did you all see?" she asks, the powerful tone in her voice pursuing answers, immediately.

"I...saw... dead people," Rebecca says quietly. There's a moment's pause, and in that time Masashi reaches out to stroke her head, most likely for comfort, but then her head snaps back up. "Someone please go get everyone else. I have an... amendment..."

I wordlessly stand and after a brief glance so does Takahashi. Despite being much smaller than me, I can respect her and hold her to her title, since she has an unusually athletic build. We start at the base of the dorms; Rebecca and Abayame respectively. Though, we already know they're in the cafeteria so we can skip them and find ourselves in front of Shigemitsa's dorm.

My insides are too soggy for my rage to ignite at the mention of Shigemitsa, so my mind is calm as I knock on her door. "Shigemitsa? We need you in the cafeteria." there's a coldness to my voice, perhaps civil for the first time ever directly talking to her.

The door swings open earlier than I expect. I look down on her, but she doesn't return the contact. I only get an eye-full of white-blonde girl hair.

"Excuse me," her voice travels about as far as her breath, but she plows through Takahashi and me anyway. Still at a running pace, she runs in a streak to the cafeteria, and disappeas around the corner.

"Terrible." Takahashi mumbles, shaking her head softly.

"What?" I ask, surprised to hear her voice.

"This entire thing is terrible, don't you agree?" she continues, peeking down at her widespread trembling hands. "It brings fear from the darkest places into light, just for fun. I don't understand why."

**I TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE THIS GOD DAMN CHAPTER IM ABOUT TO CY**

**I GOT CAUGHT UP IN ZERO ESCAPE IM SORRY**

**but hey first murder and investigation next chapter!**

**Here's voting!**

**General:**

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**(I won't be holding Free Time voting since we won't be having it for awhile.)**

* * *

_**Season of the Witch by Donovan**_


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